Monday, January 08, 2007

One summer afternoon when nothing muchwas happening, they were standing arounda tractor beside the barn while a horsein the field poked his head between two strandsof the barbed-wire fence to get at the grassalong the lane, when it happened-something

they passed around the wood stove late at nightfor years, but never could explain-someonemay have dropped a wrench into the toolboxor made a sudden move, or merely thoughtwhat might happen if the horse got scared, andthen he did get scared, jumped sideways and ran

down the fence line, leaving chunks of his throatskin and hair on every barb for ten feetbefore he pulled free and ran a short wayinto the field, stopped and planted his hoofs wide apart like a sawhorse, hung his headdown as if to watch his blood running out,

almost as if he were about to speakto them, who almost thought he could regretthat he no longer had the strength to stand,then shuddered to his knees, fell on his side,and gave up breathing while the dripping wirehummed like a bowstring in the splintered air.